Review for Press Lex To Metaverx

Press Lex to Metaverx, published and developed by RexCorp, wraps the player in a whimsical story that involves reconciling different aspects of self-identity. Richly hued graphics and energetic sound construct a world where zaniness is commonplace. Players control this weird and wondrous narrative using a simple point-and-click interface to complete fetch quests and solve inventory object puzzles. Two mini-games are somewhat bewildering, though they are conquerable with a trial-and-error strategy. Despite the lack of voice acting and a slightly frustrating save and load system, players will savor Press Lex to Metaverx’s intriguing writing, colorful pixel art and beautiful music.

This funny yarn sees the protagonist, Lex, trying to protect his world by closing gaping wormholes that are both destroying the surroundings and altering his memories and past events. He meets multiple characters during his quest, many of whom are slightly different versions of himself and represent facets of his personality. My favorite, Aristotle-Lex, manages to be wise and amusing. Lex must protect his “alternate selves” in order to preserve his own reality. 

I particularly enjoyed having the game tutorial as part of the story. Lex has a conversation with his mother about using the mouse and accessing the inventory to make a spooky mask. It effectively teaches gameplay specifics within the context of the narrative. 

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Press Lex to Metaverx features a point-and-click interface. Left-clicking controls Lex’s movements and right-clicking on objects or areas provides a description. Left-clicking also activates objects and conversations. The inventory resides at the bottom of the screen. Left-clicking on an item in inventory selects it, after which it can be employed. Sometimes combining items is necessary to get a result. The game informs players of the outcomes of their choices.

The player uses the interface to conquer inventory object puzzles and fetch quests. My favorite involved a magical item that looks innocuous but has surprising, destructive capabilities. That particular puzzle is easy to solve. Others are baffling enough to border on exasperating, specifically, the two mini-games. The first involves selecting pictures of items, but no instructions are provided and it’s difficult to determine what the images actually represent. For the second mini-game, players must arrange events from Lex’s life in a timeline, without any procedural explanation. Fortunately, with a trial-and-error strategy it doesn’t take too long to sniff out a solution. 

When taking a break from the game, left-click on “Save” and select a numbered save slot, labeled automatically by date. When the call of adventure beckons again, it’s convenient to load a game from the title screen. There is no autosave feature. This date-specific method is slightly annoying because you cannot label the saved games, which would have made it easier to identify your progress. The menu also has a handy options feature where players can choose the text language and the volume of sound effects or music.

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The world Lex is trying to rescue combines vivid pixel art and a soundscape ranging from smoothly tranquil to humorously syncopated. My favorite location, the library, is cluttered with books and bric-a-brac, reminiscent of real-life libraries, though more mysterious and dangerous.

Press Lex to Metaverx lacks voice acting. However, it does contain varied music that contributes significantly to the locations’ atmosphere. The whimsical, energetic tracks arouse players’ curiosity, encouraging them to explore the environments. Players will enjoy the game’s unusually humorous story and creative graphics and soundtrack, all controllable through a convenient interface.